It's seemingly inevitable that drones will be widely available to a lot of nations within 10 years. The technology that today is exclusive to the USA will be cheap, leaked and copied by other nations as soon as it appears. I wonder if western public opinion will feel so calm about drones when Iran etc. start to fly them over their heads (not officially of course, drones do not need to bear national markings and there is no pilot to identify)

On a far less global scale we are already seeing law enforcement using drones. They are currently unarmed but there will be a push to arm them once a national casecan be flashed over the media wires. If only that police drone had a weapon, little Susie could have been saved from that pedophile murderer...

Domestic drones are not currently restricted to the state. Personal drone use is a hobby at the moment but when they drop in price there is no legislation to control their numbers (and scant to control their use other than height ceilings).

5 years from now we could have a sky full of drones and not know who they belong to. Is it your government, their government, your neighbor, the crooks down the road watching your house, your obsessive ex-lover....?

I'm stunned there is not even a muted call for legislation. I know the governments do not want to mention drones for fear it might make people object to their use abroad but is no-one else worried?

November 16th, 2013, 10:47 PM

Dywyddyr

Quote:

Originally Posted by Citadel

there is no legislation to control their numbers (and scant to control their use other than height ceilings).

Thanks for the articles. There is a debate from time to time in the media but presently no public pressure for legislation.

November 16th, 2013, 11:53 PM

Dywyddyr

Quote:

Originally Posted by Citadel

Thanks for the articles. There is a debate from time to time in the media but presently no public pressure for legislation.

If you'd bothered to read the articles you'd probably find that there's no "public pressure for legislation" because, by and large, that legislation is already in place.
For example (from memoey) a recent attempted drone sale by the US to germany fell through because it is illegal to operate pilotless aircraft in German airspace - even military-operated ones.

November 17th, 2013, 12:09 AM

jocular

Quote:

Originally Posted by Citadel

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dywyddyr

Quote:

Originally Posted by Citadel

there is no legislation to control their numbers (and scant to control their use other than height ceilings).

Thanks for the articles. There is a debate from time to time in the media but presently no public pressure for legislation.

Do not be overwhelmed by Daffy Duck's heavy-handed approach! (Imagine a Yank defending a Brit!). Everything you pointed out exists as dire possibility. Legislation or no, the god damned things WILL be utilized, make no mistake. My biggest concern is for safety in the air: there are already too many commercial flights airborne at any given instant, introduce clouds of these unmanned "saviours" of the manipulated, and WTH knows what will happen. jocular

November 17th, 2013, 12:11 AM

Citadel

Thank you Jocular. You've just saved me from a few pithy remarks :roll:

Mr Duck:

There are regulations to height and, to some extent (mainly in Europe) who can use them,but not into whether the state can use them domestically, if they could bearmed, if private individuals or criminal groups could use them etc.

There is no public debate about it, no parlimentary debate about it, no oversight committe, no planned laws and seemingly no concerns at all by anyone.

November 17th, 2013, 12:23 AM

Dywyddyr

Quote:

Originally Posted by Citadel

Mr Duck:
There are regulations to height and, to some extent (mainly in Europe) who can use them,but not into whether the state can use them domestically, if they could bearmed, if private individuals or criminal groups could use them etc.
There is no public debate about it, no parlimentary debate about it, no oversight committe, no planned laws and seemingly no concerns at all by anyone.

Then you're going to have to be considerably more specific (as to which country you're talking about).
E.g. private individuals may operate R/C aircraft in rural areas, and open ground - not in built up areas. How much "spying" is going to be available in the countryside? Especially when the operator has a legal requirement to be in line of sight?
State use?
Three police forces and 3 fire services currently use them (in the UK).
Laws are in place that regulate, for example, size, and therefore capability of unmanned systems.
Armament?
Even police in the UK require special dispensation to carry firearms: arming a drone would (apart from the legal ramifications) be a waste of time/ effort.
So, one more time, why do we need a "parliamentary debate"?

Is this what people are scared of? I could take one of these out with a slingshot.
You can buy one of these off Amazon. If I had toy money I'd be down.
A scary one would be about the size of a dragonfly. That'll probably happen in a few months.

Is this what people are scared of? I could take one of these out with a slingshot.
You can buy one of these off Amazon. If I had toy money I'd be down.
A scary one would be about the size of a dragonfly. That'll probably happen in a few months.